(Business in Cameroon) – 277 students from Douala University’s IUT have joined the Édéa National Business Incubator under a new partnership.
- Ministers Achille Bassilekin III and Jacques Fame Ndongo jointly launched the program on October 6, 2025.
- The initiative supports Cameroon’s 2020–2030 National Development Strategy (SND30) to boost innovation and industrialization.
The University Institute of Technology (IUT) of Douala has opened a new branch at the National Pilot Business Incubator (PNPE) in Édéa, Littoral region, to train 277 students in entrepreneurship. The initiative aims to strengthen youth employability and promote the commercialization of university research.
On October 6, 2025, the Minister of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts, Achille Bassilekin III, and the Minister of Higher Education, Jacques Fame Ndongo, signed a specific partnership agreement to launch the program. The PNPE, based in the Sanaga-Maritime Division, is a national hub for entrepreneurial incubation and business acceleration.
The partnership seeks to turn every student into a business project leader, capable of generating jobs and value. It establishes an integrated system combining incubation, practical training, innovation, and mentorship.
Under the agreement, both the IUT of Douala and the PNPE will promote research and development through innovative projects, create prototype labs, and facilitate student internships and apprenticeships within start-ups hosted at the PNPE.
The program will also include specialized training for start-ups and SMEs in fields such as digital marketing, financial management, and technological innovation. Both institutions plan to organize hackathons, workshops, conferences, and networking events to stimulate the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The ministers announced the creation of a joint monitoring committee to ensure efficient coordination, compliance with commitments, and rigorous evaluation. This committee will produce annual reports and propose strategic recommendations to strengthen the program’s long-term impact.
The initiative aligns with Cameroon’s 2020–2030 National Development Strategy (SND30), which seeks to achieve structural transformation through innovation and industrialization. It also supports the July 25, 2023 Higher Education Law, which emphasizes quality assurance, professionalization, and employability.
By linking universities with the private sector, the Douala–Édéa partnership aims to cultivate a new generation of autonomous, innovative, and solution-driven graduates ready to tackle the country’s socio-economic challenges.
This article was initially published in French by Frédéric Nonos
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
